Campaign: Promotion of iodized salt usage stressed

Call for launching awareness drive.

The participants of a meeting Tuesday vowed to launch a countrywide awareness drive for use of iodine, said a press release. 

The consultation meeting, organised by The Network for Consumer Protection, was attended by representatives of Utility Stores Corporation (USC), Edhi Homes, Aga Khan Health Service, and Pakistan Hotels Association and salt processing organisations.

The participants discussed how to ensure Universal Salt Iodization (USI) linking it with the improved human intelligence. It would result in children having better intelligence and women staying away from health complications that are associated with iodine deficiency.

Nutrition Officer at United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Dr Saeed Qadir said that iodized salt usage was an easy solution to mental disorders.

He added that many countries have already achieved the goal of universal iodization but we are lagging behind.

Iodine deficiency is causing complications including abortion among pregnant women. Earlier in his introductory remarks Executive Coordinator the Network for Consumer Protection Nadeem Iqbal said iodization of salt was the most inexpensive way of preventing iodine deficiency disorders.

“Previously, goiter was believed to be caused by iodine deficiency but now iodine deficiency is also being linked with mental impairment,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2014.